ALLOW IT-SQUASH THE BEEF

Respect, Resist, Resolve & Respire to Rise

Allow It–Squash the Beef (AISTB) is a trauma informed, neuro diverse sensitive programme for secondary school aged children from 11 – 17 years.

Target organisations are schools, faith groups, youth clubs, and other venues where young people gather.

The programme will be delivered by highly skilled social care practitioners specialising in child protection and safeguarding, with extensive experience in working with vulnerable young people and their families affected by exploitation, grooming and violence.

AISTB will target those young people identified as being at risk of knife crime, exploitation and gang involvement. Facilitators understand that many young people involved in knife crime, sex trafficking or gangs have experienced trauma. The programme will therefore create a safe space for young people to explore their emotions, triggers, and experiences.  AISTB emphasises healing and personal growth, teaching participants to regulate emotions and healthily manage stress. Through the group exercises, and peer discussions, participants learn how to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. They will be encouraged to practice techniques for de-escalating situations and “squashing the beef” through peaceful negotiation.

AISTB is an intervention programme designed to address knife crime, exploitation, and gang violence among young people. It will include online safety and digital grooming with specific reference to child sexual exploitation (CSE). The programme provides an in-depth look at the realities of sex trafficking, knife crime, exploitation and gang culture, exposing the dangers and long-term consequences for individuals, their families and networks. By focusing on the root causes of violent and harmful behaviours, such as trauma, social exclusion, and peer pressure, the programme empowers young people to safely move away from exploiters reach, to “squash the beef” whilst helping them to build resilience and make positive life choices.

The programme targets vulnerable youth at risk of or involved in harmful behaviours, criminal activities, particularly those exposed to knife crime, grooming, child criminal exploitation (CCE), child sexual exploitation (CSE), county lines and other gang involvement and activities. It provides young people with tools, understanding, and support needed to navigate high-risk situations and how to steer clear of harmful situations and behaviours. The programme raises awareness of the impact of knife crime, fostering a culture where carrying a weapon is seen as danger rather than protective, and focuses on reducing the normalisation of knife possession among youth. It will also address the issues pertaining to sexual exploitation, the concept of ‘safe’ intimate relationships and inherent challenges, and exposure to activities that places young people at significant risk of abuse and harm.

AISTB addresses how grooming can happen, equipping young people with knowledge and confidence to spot warning signs and seek help before or after they become victims. It explains the risks of county lines involvement and drug and sex trafficking, showing young people how individuals and criminal groups exploit vulnerability. It offers strategies to avoid recruitment and find safer alternatives. It will also support young people in breaking free from harmful individuals and gangs by identifying support in navigating safe exit strategies

AISTB helps address triggers for young people going missing or disengaging from education, such as family breakdown, family protection or fear of repercussions from individuals and gangs. And, there is scope for time-limited ongoing work with individuals to mitigate challenges.

Key Ambitions, Outcomes & Impact

  1. Support young people to identify manipulative tactics and recognise early signs of grooming from adults and peers, including online safety and digital grooming.
  2. Lower risk of all forms of exploitation and grooming, decreased gang involvement, reduction in knife crime and youth violence leading to greater personal and community safety
  3. Work closely with educational professionals and other leaders to identify at-risk students early, and adopt a whole system strategy that continuously focuses on risk mitigation and management
  4. Increased school attendance and engagement
  5. Support students to identify trauma and strategies to healthily manage impact
  6. Illuminate commonly used strategies, language and developing terminology adopted by exploiters
  7. Encourage young people to envision a future beyond abuse, gang involvement and violence, and promote alternative aspirations, diversionary activities, hobbies and career paths
  8. Support leaders to connect young people with mentors, community leaders and positive role models who can inspire change, and help them build safe networks of support
  9. Reduce feelings of isolation by identifying a ‘team around each young person’
  10. Additional services from the facilitators to work in partnership with young people, their families, educational establishments, and other leaders to re-engage young people in education and/or attendance at safe places
  11. To use the programme as a framework for access to S.T.E.P.S, a parental programme focusing on early identification, understanding and mitigating early, risky behaviours, and bridge the disconnect between children’s knowledge and experiences, and parental access to key information to aid safety planning

Get In Touch

For more information or any questions about ALLOW IT-SQUASH THE BEEF, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We endeavour to respond within two working days.